Malta Medical Students' Association

File:MMSA-Logo-Vertical-Wikipedia.png

The Malta Medical Students' Association (MMSA) is one of the oldest student associations found at the University of Malta, established in 1951. All students in the faculty of Medicine and Surgery, including post-graduate students but excluding Pharmacy students, are automatic members of this association.

MMSA is a non-governmental, non-political student organization that has been established 60 years ago. MMSA has its foundation at the University of Malta where it has been the most active student organization for the past 10 years. It is a full member of the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) and European Medical Students' Association (EMSA). As part of IFMSA, it enjoys international status amongst 97 National Member Organizations encompassing over one million medical students globally. MMSA is also affiliated locally with the National Council of Women and supported actively by the Health Promotion Department.

Mission statement

MMSA Coordinator's Group Photo during Appreciation Night

MMSA Group photo during World Diabetes Day

“Our mission is to enhance the education of future medical professionals through enforcing active participation in their teaching system, organizing international exchanges and implementing training in the various fields of the public health sector. We also aim at empowering the Maltese society, including its marginalized communities, to become functionally involved in decision taking within the National Healthcare System and to reduce health-related social problems through culture and gender sensitive health advocacy.”

Aims and objectives

1. Empowering medical students in applying their knowledge and capacities to be actively involved in decision-making with regards to the teaching system and to the enhancement of society.

2. Promote and facilitate professional and scientific exchanges as well as projects and extracurricular training for medical students, thereby sensitizing them to other cultures and societies and their health problems. Representing Maltese medical students at an international level through the International Federation of Medical Students’ Association.

3. Advocate public health awareness through conferences, press releases, publications, campaigns and peer education sessions. Tackle public health issues in a prioritized fashion and measurable changes are recorded to determine the cost-benefit of the methods applied.

4. Teach youth theoretical background on behavior change peer education, group dynamics and co facilitation. Provide youth with the basic life skills to take informed decisions with respect to their health, ensure knowledge of their existing health rights and encourage involvement in policy changing.

5. Ensure continuity in the programs developed and improvement through monitoring & evaluation as per the statute guidelines Play an active role in formulating youth charters with respect to the various aspects of public health. Endorsing relevant publications.

Structure

All students of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, barring Pharmacy Students, are members of MMSA. The MMSA is regulated by an Executive Board composed of 13 members, elected once a year by simple majority elections. MMSA has adopted the international structure at a national level so that it is constituted of six standing committees:

1. Standing Committee on Public Health
2. Standing Committee on Reproductive Health
3. Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace
4. Standing Committee on Medical Education
5. Standing Committee on Research Exchanges
6. Standing Committee on Professional Exchanges

In addition to these standing committees, two further teams exist – Leisure team and the Media team.

Executive Board members 2002-2003

• President - Marius Grima then JP Tabone
• Vice-President - Robert Gauci
• Secretary General - Adriana Cappello
• Treasurer - Andrea Biondo
• National Officer on Medical Education - William Mifsud then Philip Amato Gauci
• National Officer on Professional Exchange - Alan Vella
• National Officer on Research Exchange - Malcolm West
• National Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS - Sasha Attard
• National Officer on Public Health - Charlene Farrugia
• National Officer on Refugees and Peace - Joanna Delia
• National Electives Coordinator - Matthew Fenech
• Leisure Officer - Simon DeGabriele then Nicola Aquilina
• Media Officer - Ben Vella Briffa

Executive Board Members 2003-2004

• President - JP Tabone
• Vice-President - Matthew Fenech
• Secretary General - Ben Vella Briffa
• Treasurer - Nadia Sciberras
• National Officer on Medical Education - Philip Amato Gauci
• National Officer on Professional Exchange - Melvin D'Anastasi
• National Officer on Research Exchange - Yancia Vella
• National Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS - Ralph Attard
• National Officer on Public Health - Nadia Sciberras
• National Officer on Refugees and Peace - Thomas Lofaro
• National Electives Coordinator - Christa Calleja
• Leisure Officer - Nicola Aquilina
• Media Officer - David Falzon

Marketing (ex-ufficio) - Malcolm West

Executive Board Members 2004-2005

• President - Matthew Fenech
• Vice-President - David Falzon
• Secretary General - Ben Vella Briffa
• Treasurer - Melvin D'Anastasi
• National Officer on Medical Education - Philip Amato Gauci
• National Officer on Professional Exchange - Adam Falzon
• National Officer on Research Exchange - Ivan Zammit
• National Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS - Roxanna Caruana
• National Officer on Public Health - Shawn Agius
• National Officer on Refugees and Peace - Jonathan Mamo
• National Electives Coordinator - Petramay Cortis
• Leisure Officer - Geraldine Darmain
• Media Officer - Reuben Borg

Executive Board Members 2005-2006

• President - David Falzon
• Vice-President - Ivan Zammit, Paul Cacciottolo
• Secretary General - Tessa Bugeja
• Treasurer - Max Mifsud
• National Officer on Medical Education - Becca Fenech
• National Officer on Professional Exchange - Adam Falzon
• National Officer on Research Exchange - Matthew Borg
• National Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS - Roxanna Caruana
• National Officer on Public Health - Shawn Agius
• National Officer on Human Rights and Peace - Pamela Miceli
• National Electives Coordinator - Petramay Cortis
• Leisure Officer - Daniel Cauchi
• Media Officer - Reuben Borg

Executive Board Members 2006-2007

• President - Ivan Zammit
• Vice-President - Rachelle Asciak
• Secretary General - Jonathan Cutajar
• Treasurer - Max Mifsud
• National Officer on Medical Education - Paul Cacciottolo
• National Officer on Professional Exchange - Chantal Fenech
• National Officer on Research Exchange - Matthew Mercieca Balbi
• National Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS - Arlette Vassallo
• National Officer on Public Health - Anne Marie Busuttil
• National Officer on Human Rights and Peace - Claude Bajada
• National Electives Coordinator - Sascha Reiff
• Leisure Officer - Martina Muscat
• Media Officer - Candice Galea

Executive Board Members 2008-2009

• President - Chantal Fenech
• Vice-President - Chris Giordimaina
• Secretary General - Sascha Reiff
• Treasurer - Karl Cutajar
• National Officer on Medical Education - Martina Falzon
• National Officer on Professional Exchange - Paul Micallef
• National Officer on Research Exchange - Sarah Cuschieri
• National Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS - Francesca Theuma
• National Officer on Public Health - Darlene Muscat
• National Officer on Human Rights and Peace - Daniel Azzopardi Micallef
• National Electives Coordinator - John Xuereb
• Leisure Officer - Mark Abela
• Media Officer - Claire Vella

Faculty Representative - Paul Cacciottolo, Marketing Officer - Arlette Vassallo, Alumni - Matthew Mercieca Balbi, I.T. Officer - Stefan Buttigieg, Preclinicals Officer - Raphael Buttigieg, Moderator - Jonathan Mamo,

Executive Board Members 2009-2010

Elections are held by MMSA on a yearly basis. On 23 March 2009, elections were held to elect the Executive Board for the 2009-2010 scholastic year. The posts of NEO and NORE no longer exist, and have been replaced by NEO/NORE-In and NEO/NORE-Out. The results are as follows

• President - Francesca Theuma
• Vice-President - Mark Abela
• Secretary General - Simon Aquilina
• Treasurer - Jacob Vella
• National Officer on Medical Education - Raphael Buttigieg
• NEO/NORE-In - Jonathan Gauci
• NEO/NORE-Out - Francesca Lentini
• National Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS - Gaby Scicluna
• National Public Health Officer - James Gauci
• National Officer on Human Rights and Peace - Chiara Vella
• National Electives Coordinator - Alison Psaila
• Leisure Officer - James Borg
• Media Officer - Stephanie Azzopardi

National Officer on Peer Education - Nicholas Mamo, Alumni Officer and Moderator - Chantal Fenech, Marking and Fundraising Officer - Ben Chetcuti, IFMSA Official - Stefan Buttigieg

Executive Board Members 2010-2011

• President - Jacob Vella
• Vice-President - Cara Bezzina
• Secretary General - Matthew Attard
• Financial Officer - Viktor I. Cassar
• National Officer on Medical Education - Albert Borg
• NEO/NORE-In/Out - Aaron Schembri
• National Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS - Daniel Croucher
• National Public Health Officer - Ann Victoria Farrugia
• National Officer on Human Rights and Peace - Kay Vanhear
• National Electives Coordinator - James Vella
• Leisure Officer - Daniel Vella Fondacaro
• Media and Marketing Officer - Samuel Debono

National Officer on Peer Education - Keith Pace, Alumni Officer - Stefan Buttigieg, IFMSA UNESCO Liaison Officer - Raphael Buttigieg

Executive Board Members 2011-2012

• President - Ann Victoria Farrugia
• Vice-President - Daniel Vella Fondacaro
• Secretary General - Richard Apap Bologna
• Treasurer - Alexander Paul Grima
• National Officer on Medical Education - Robert Cachia
• NEO/NORE-In/Out - Christabel Mizzi
• National Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS - Keith Pace
• National Public Health Officer - Eleanor Borg
• National Officer on Human Rights and Peace - Thea Dimech
• National Electives Coordinator - Jessica Burr Galea
• Leisure Officer - Ryan Grech
• Media and Marketing Officer - Elizabeth Gialanzè
• National Officer on Peer Education - Michael Sullivan

Executive Board Members 2012-2013

• President - Daniel Vella Fondacaro
• Vice-President - Keith Pace
• Secretary General - Alexander Paul Grima
• Financial Officer - Lisa Buttigieg
• MMSA Officer on Medical Education - Myranda Attard
• NEO/NORE-In - Tara Giacchino
• NEO/NORE-Out - Kelly Gatt
• MMSA Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS - Thelma Xerri
• MMSA Public Health Officer - Matthew Baldacchino
• MMSA Officer on Human Rights and Peace - Matthew Valentino
• MMSA Electives Coordinator - Ethan Caruana
• Leisure Officer - Julian Agius
• Media and Marketing Officer - Arlène Gatt
• MMSA Officer of Peer Education - Fabrizia Cassar

The Board of Directors 2013-2014

Board of Directors 2013

The Executive Board:

• President - Robert Cachia
• Vice President for Internal Affairs - Thelma Xerri
• Vice President for External Affairs - Tara Giacchino
• Secretary General - Steve Sammut Alessi
• Treasurer - Lisa Buttigieg

Team of Officials:

• Public Relations Officer: Gabriel Joshua Ellul
• MMSA Officer on Medical Education - Rebecca Stoner
• NEO/NORE-In (Exchange and Research Officer – Incomings) - Daniel Fenech
• NEO/NORE-Out (Exchange and Research Officer – Outgoings) - Janice Azzopardi
• Sexual Health an Reproductive Health Officer - Phoebe Debono
• MMSA Public Health Officer - Adriana Grech
• MMSA Officer on Human Rights and Peace - Kristina Bartolo
• MMSA Electives Coordinator - Thomas Gatt
• Leisure Officer - Darryl Pisani
• MMSA Officer of Peer Education - James Gauci

The Board of Directors 2014-2015

BD Group Photo 2014-2015

The Executive Board:

• President - Gabriel Joshua Ellul
• Vice President for Internal Affairs - Thomas Gatt
• Vice President for External Affairs - Kristina Bartolo
• Secretary General - Rebecca Stoner
• Treasurer - Mubarak Al-Ghuroba

Team of Officials:

• Public Relations Officer: Leonard Callus
• MMSA Officer on Medical Education - Sarah Catania
• NEO/NORE-In (Exchange and Research Officer – Incomings) - Abigail Mula
• NEO/NORE-Out (Exchange and Research Officer – Outgoings) - Martina Bugelli
• Sexual Health an Reproductive Health Officer - Victoria Camilleri
• MMSA Public Health Officer - Martina Gerada
• MMSA Officer on Human Rights and Peace - Gerd Xuereb
• MMSA Electives Coordinator - Matthew Pizzuto
• Leisure Officer - Dylan Attard
• MMSA Officer of Peer Education and Training - Francesca Curmi

The Board of Directors 2015-2016

The Executive Board:

• President - Steve Sammut Alessi
• Vice President for Internal Affairs - Gerd Xuereb
• Vice President for External Affairs - Victoria Camilleri
• Secretary General - Bernice Farrugia
• Treasurer - Matthew Pizzuto

Team of Officials:

• Public Relations Officer: Stefano Corso
• MMSA Officer on Medical Education - Paul Cassar
• NEO/NORE-In (Exchange and Research Officer – Incomings) - Madeleine Bonnici
• NEO/NORE-Out (Exchange and Research Officer – Outgoings) - Gianluca Fava
• MMSA Sexual and Reproductive Health including AIDS Officer - Maria Christina Tabone
• MMSA Public Health Officer - Jordy Borg
• MMSA Officer on Human Rights and Peace - Sarah Xuereb
• MMSA Electives Coordinator - Bader Ali
• Leisure Officer - Samuel Attard
• MMSA Officer of Peer Education and Training - Karl Bonello

Standing Committees and Activities

SCOPH: Standing Committee on Public Health

Medical Student taking blood pressure during an event organized by MMSA SCOPH

Medical Students checking blood glucose during an event organized by MMSA SCOPH

As medical students, MMSA's members are at the forefront in the advocacy of public health and are active at the various levels of society both in age, gender and cultural divisions that exist. The goals are achieved through a multitude of activities that include:

i. World Diabetes Day – 14 November. This is an international event. In Malta it is held by the medical students in Valletta and the main acute hospital now at Mater Dei. Free Random Blood Glucose (RBG) testing is provided alongside information regarding Diabetes.

ii. Blood Donation Campaign – bi-annually in November and March. These both last three days and are held on university campus. The event is aimed at University students, Msida residents, healthcare professionals and hospital visitors. The usual criteria for blood donation are employed and a doctor is present for blood taking.

iii. Teddy Bear Hospital Project – this is a project that was established first within EMSA. It was adopted in Malta 5 years ago. It entails a group of medical students attending various primary schools and enhances approachability between patient and doctor through an educational outreach to young children.

iv. Awareness Campaigns – a number of these are organized annually, constituting an anti-smoking campaign and focus on nutrition & exercise. These campaigns involve various activities including publications, press releases, non-smoking parties, awareness stands and dissemination of information through conferences and peer education sessions.

v. FOOD (Focused on Obesity and Diabetes) Campaign - a project that is aimed towards increasing awareness about health eating, fitness and exercise. This entails a group of medical students attending various primary schools and educating them about the importance of an overall healthy lifestyle.

vi. World Heart Day - This is organised in the last weekend of September, and is another international event, which is commemorated by the Medical Students.

vii. Healthfest - This is an event in which NPET, SCOPH and SCORP come together to educate the public about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle as well as the downfalls of eating disorders, smoking, drug and alcohol abuse. Free Random Blood Glucose (RBG) testing is provided alongside information regarding Diabetes. A water campaign is also held to increase the awareness of the importance of drinking water, and that some other countries might not be so fortunate as to have easy access to fresh water.

SCORA: Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including AIDS

The Standing Committee on Reproductive Health was founded on an international level as the Standing Committee on AIDS and Sexually transmitted infections (SCOAS) and later converted to SCORA to encompass various other health-related issues pertaining to sex and sexuality.

i. World AIDS Day Campaign – 1 December. This is an international event. In Malta a week of various events are organized including outreaches, concert, a candle vigil, "Piazza Cafe" and various information stands.

MMSA SCORA Stand during World Aids Day

ii. Men’s Day – 7 February. This event is held on the three major campuses in Malta where information regarding male reproductive cancers is disseminated in an interactive manner between medical students and other students. Bookmarks with relevant information are also placed in prominent bookstores around the island.

iii. Women’s Day – 8 March. This is an annual event that comprises different yearly activities. In previous activities MMSA has collaborated with the breast care support group, Amnesty International and the health promotion department. The various topics tackled include female reproductive cancers, gender exploitation, female genital mutilation and breast-feeding.

iv. The Genital Affair – held annually towards the end of April, it has become a very successful theatrical performance that is amongst the first to encompass theatre-based peer education in Europe.

v. SexEd – this is the freshest project within MMSA. It is a sexual peer education project that is currently being established. It aims to target a minimum of twenty secondary government, church and private schools dispersed over both Malta and Gozo. This precludes the participation of medical students, psychology students and students from the Institute of HealthCare.

vi. The IVF Campaign - Launched in 2011, this campaign aims to increase the awareness about IVF amongst the public.

SCORP: Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace

Voluntary experience in Bucharest, July 2014

Experience MMSA SCORP!!

Replacing boundaries with bridges.

The Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace (SCORP) within MMSA seeks to attain its objective of contributing towards a more tolerant and just society by voicing the needs of the oppressed, the forgotten, and anyone in the margins of the society. Voluntary care services are undertaken by our members to improve the wellbeing of all persons. Our mission is to replace boundaries with bridges, and this is the primary objective of one of our projects Amigo. Amigo is a project designed for medical students who would like to voluntary assist those vulnerable in our societies. The project targets various segments of our society and it will reach out to children, elderly, persons with disability, terminally ill patients, refugees and other persons in the society’s margins.

SCORP Malta believes that medical students value the wellbeing of all citizens in our society. By voluntary offering care services SCORP aims to strengthen the doctor patient relationship. SCORP aims to expose and train the volunteering medical students to interact with vulnerable persons.

SCOME: Standing Committee on Medical Education

A student group photo during MMSA Medik-T 2014

The main aim of the Standing Committee on Medical Education (SCOME) team is to create the ideal physicians that are skilled and have a broad view on health, are able to work with other professions, and are able to advocate for changes in the medical education system. Medical students have the responsibility of their own education system that is why during SCOME's main event called Medical Education Development International Training Kit (MEDIK-T), topics such as Outcome based Medicine, Research in Medicine, Non-Formal Education, Evaluation and Assessment, and Feedback and Representation are covered with the aim to give the students the skills that they need to analyze, advocate and adapt their education system according to the current and future needs of the doctors and the country.

SCOME takes care of introducing the medical course to the fresher's by organising talks and a buddy system to orient the students and introduce them to the upcoming five years. Other workshops and seminars organised by SCOME include: Practice makes Perfect, Book Fair, Minima Medicamenta, Breaking the Silence, Medical Scientific Maltese, amongst others.

SCORE/SCOPE: Standing Committee on Research and Professional Exchanges

A total of 144 of exchanges are organized throughout the summer months with an influx of 71 students and around 73 students going abroad to work in various hospitals globally. These provide for excellent interactive learning techniques that bring fresh ideas into the Maltese NHS. They also enhance the development of culture-sensitive healthcare professionals.

Public Relations Team

Apart from all the events that are organized by MMSA, the association also has its very own publications. These include press releases for each major event in the public health sector, reports for all the events and annual reports. MMSA also publishes several magazines which are published in different times of the year these include:

Publications

The MMSA Publications

i. The Fresher’s Booklet - An informative booklet aimed at welcoming new medical students into the MMSA and orienting them to our association's structure. This booklet is given to every 1st year Medical Student and the aim of the magazine is to welcome them to the course and to get to know MMSA better. By reading the booklet, the student can get a hint of events organised by MMSA, publications released by MMSA and also some hints on how to manage his/her studies in the Medicine and Surgery Course.

ii. Sphygmo - This magazine is usually released in February and is made available to all medical students both online as an eBook on Issuu or printed. This satirical magazine is a compilation of light and humorous articles compiled by members of the Malta Medical Students’ Association.

iii. Ripple - A magazine aimed at promoting healthy summer habits and avoidance of smoking among the Maltese population. This is part of MMSA’s award-winning “Beat The Burn” Campaign which has allowed medical students reach the public during the summer months.

iv. Murmur - One of Public Relation Team’s main projects, Murmur is an annual magazine which is distributed free of charge to all medical students and doctors at Mater Dei Hospital. It features opinion articles, consultant interviews, humour and articles about current medical affairs. Murmur is a respected publication in the Maltese medical community and within IFMSA.

v. Minima Medicamenta - Minima Medicamenta consists of a booklet which contains a number of authentic clinical case reports which clinical students themselves collect from the wards. This publication aims not only to help share knowledge and interesting medical articles, but also to get students into the habit of writing in the medical register, and start developing skills in scientific publication.

vi. Way to Medical School - A guide by medical students to help prospective medical students make the right choice in the field of studies.

All publications can be found on the MMSA website in the Publications Section

The MMSA App

MMSA App Available on both Google Play and App Store

The MMSA (Malta Medical Students’ Association) app is uniquely suited for users to keep themselves updated with on-going MMSA events being organised, publications and much more! The app has been designed and programmed by the MMSA Public Relations Team 2014 itself and is available on both Google Play and App Store. Information on the MMSA App can be found on the MMSA website.

Leisure Team

This team organizes parties, balls, football tournaments and paint ball games for all the university student body. The parties organized include:

i. End of Summer – held in the last week of September, this party is held in one of the beach resorts around Malta and aims to re-unite the estranged students after the summer prior to the beginning of the new scholastic year.

ii. Training and Resource Development Seminar

ii. MMSA Annual Ball - held at the tail-end of winter, the Ball is a success story every year attracting over 1000 students.

iii. Christmas Party – a free-entrance party is held during the Christmas holidays on campus for all university students.

MMSA for March Meeting 2016

MMSA Official Poster for the March Meeting 2016 Malta Candidature

In an effort to further its participation within the International Federation of Medical Students Association, the IFMSA, the MMSA will be bidding to host the IFMSA March Meeting 2016 GA. The bid was officially announced on the 5th of August 2014, at the opening ceremony of the August Meeting 2014 GA in Taiwan. The actual bid will be discussed in the March Meeting 2015 GA in Turkey, where if voted upon, Malta will be chosen to host the GA in a year's time. A General Assembly has already been organised in Malta in the March Meeting of 2001, with the MMSA also pioneering in the organisation of the first Southern European Conference for Sexual Education, SECSE, in 2013.

On the 6th of March 2015, Malta has been chosen by IFMSA to host March Meeting 2016 during March Meeting 2015 taking place in Antalya, Turkey. For more information on Malta MM2016 click here and visit the official page.

Affiliates

MMSA is a full member of both IFMSA and EMSA. It is also a very active contributor to the local KSU and KNZ, the local umbrella student organisations.

External links

• MMSA's Official Website
• Medical Education in Malta